Shivangi Sinha
Ed Gein was arrested in November 1957 following the disappearance of Bernice Worden from her hardware store. A search of his property revealed numerous disturbing items and human remains belonging to several individuals, exposing the horrifying extent of his crimes. Although he was formally tried for only one homicide, Gein confessed to another murder and admitted to exhuming at least nine graves. Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story‘ dramatizes these events, portraying his arrest, the discovery of his crimes, and the shocking impact they had on the community, while exploring the psychological and macabre aspects of his life.
The Disappearance of a Deputy Sheriff’s Mother Led to Ed Gein’s Arrest
Ed Gein lived in his farmhouse in Plainfield, Wisconsin, for most of his life. After his mother, Augusta Gein, passed away in December 1945, Ed was left alone and increasingly isolated, and it is believed that this period marked the beginning of his criminal activities. His crimes went undetected for more than a decade. On the evening of November 16, 1957, Deputy Sheriff Frank Worden arrived at his mother, Bernice Worden’s, hardware store and noticed she was missing. She had last been seen that morning, and it became clear that the last person to visit her had been Ed Gein. The last receipt Bernice had written was in his name, and he had reportedly visited her the night before, saying he would return in the morning to collect a gallon of antifreeze.
Bloodstains were found on the floor, and the cash register was left open, which was a clear sign of a violent incident. Police acted quickly, arresting Gein while he was at a grocery store in West Plainfield. Simultaneously, they executed a search warrant at his farmhouse, where Bernice Worden’s remains were discovered. She was found in the shed, hanging upside down from a crossbar with ropes, mutilated and decapitated. During the investigation, Gein also confessed to the killing of tavern owner Mary Hogan, but the items and remains recovered from his property revealed an even more horrifying extent of his crimes.
Items Recovered from Ed Gein’s House Painted a Picture of His Horrifying Crimes
When police searched Ed Gein’s farmhouse, they uncovered a shocking and macabre array of human remains and objects fashioned from human body parts. Whole bones and skulls were scattered throughout the house, some mounted on bedposts or fashioned into bowls. Fragments of human skin were draped over chairs, while a corset made from a female torso and leggings crafted from leg skin demonstrated the disturbing extent of Gein’s actions. Masks made from female heads were discovered, including Mary Hogan’s face tucked inside a paper bag and her skull stored in a box. Bernice Worden’s skull was found in a burlap sack, with her heart placed in a plastic bag in front of Gein’s potbelly stove. Other items included vulvas, a young girl’s dress, a belt made from female nipples, noses, lips, fingernails, and even a lampshade fashioned from a human face.
Gein later claimed that many of these horrific items were the result of his grave-robbing activities. He admitted to digging up bodies from local cemeteries and collecting parts to create a “body suit,” which he intended to wear in an attempt to become his deceased mother. He was suspected of being involved in other homicides, including that of Evelyn Hartley, Georgia Jean Weckler and Victor Harold Travis. However, there was never any evidence that strongly connected him to these cases and Gein spent the rest of his life in different state medical institutions on account of his being found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Read More: What Mental Illness Did Ed Gein Have? Did He Have Schizophrenia?
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